Dark Earth is the new black rifle
- Thread starter BergisheLandSaint11
- Start date
I don't understand why "black rifles" are black, unless it's because most engagements statistically occur in the dark.
It's well known that, for camouflage purposes in natural conditions black is the worst possible choice. The color black occurs nowhere in nature...so how could it possibly benefit camouflage? If you see anything black in nature...it's not nature...
It's well known that, for camouflage purposes in natural conditions black is the worst possible choice. The color black occurs nowhere in nature...so how could it possibly benefit camouflage? If you see anything black in nature...it's not nature...
Ridge_Runner_5
New member
Night
Shadows
Black Widow spider
Black cats
Black Labs
Coal
So if you're fighting in a poorly lit coal mine at night full of poisonous spiders, you have a serious tactical advantage over that dude with the FDE or wooden gun
Double Naught Spy
New member
According to here... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/safety-first-as-raf-paints-planes-black-1146643.html
The trainers are painted black not for when they go down, but to help keep them from going down as a result of midair collisions. Black planes stand out most clearly against the sky.
What a strange thing to say.
tobnpr said:
I'll be sure to tell that to the crows when they stop by the feeder tomorrow. They'll be amused to learn that black doesn't exist in nature.
If you want your rifle whatever color you like, that's fine. Mine are black because I don't see the utility. Yeah, camo is cool, but I quit worrying so much about it during an exercise in 1984. I watched a superbly camouflaged team set up about 500 meters away from me. In the dark. With no moon. Those guys did everything right, used cover, concealment, terrain and darkness to set up an ambush site. It was lovely watching them move about the battlefield. Superbly camouflaged, magnificently trained, exquisitely executed ambush.
So, I put down my coffee cup, rang up my mortar section, and had them drop a simulated mortar barrage on their asses. The ambush team was quite shocked when I talked to them later. They'd done everything right. It was their first experience with thermal imagery.
Blending in is good, most of the time. The human eye is hardwired to see motion, so anything you can do to minimize motion is a good thing. It doesn't matter what color you paint your rifle. If you like FDE, then buy it. For myself, I like OD green. It reminds me of the black-boot army that I was a part of.
I was referring to flora...not animals.
Unless you're gonna hide behind a black cat or a spider for concealment.
If you know of any black shrubs, or grass, or trees, flowers, etc. or rocks (OK- aside from "coal") ...I'm listening.
If I were an operator glassing for a hide, and saw something black, guess what? It would sure get my attention.
That was my point, and I didn't invent it. Read it somewhere (now I'm going to have to find that article) on camouflage. When it comes to match your environment, the color black doesn't exist in nature.
Someone please show me a commercial camo print with black in it.
Unless you're gonna hide behind a black cat or a spider for concealment.
If you know of any black shrubs, or grass, or trees, flowers, etc. or rocks (OK- aside from "coal") ...I'm listening.
If I were an operator glassing for a hide, and saw something black, guess what? It would sure get my attention.
That was my point, and I didn't invent it. Read it somewhere (now I'm going to have to find that article) on camouflage. When it comes to match your environment, the color black doesn't exist in nature.
Someone please show me a commercial camo print with black in it.
devildog1341
Inactive
SwampYankee
New member
As an aside, black is regarded as the best possible color that the pigment chlorophyll COULD have been, it would have absorbed the most wavelengths of light. But it isn't black, evolution made it green. No one is quite sure why because evolution generally sorts out the best answer to a problem..
Tiger stipes come to mind right off....
While things may not be "pitch" black, there are varying levels of browns and grays that get to pretty much "black" in color, all over the woods. Close enough that you could call it black, even if it isnt. If you look at some of the Real Tree patterns, you can see what I mean, as they have them.
Ahh....
OK. Look up "Universal Camouflage Pattern" in Wikipedia. "ACUPAT" for those of you that like US Military terminology.
Then, look under color selection.
The color scheme of the Army Combat Uniform is composed of a gray (officially named Urban gray 501), tan (Desert sand 500) and sage green (Foliage green 502) digital pattern. The pattern is noticeable for its elimination of the color black.[7] Justification for the ommission of black was that black is a colour not commonly found in nature.[8] Pure black, when viewed through night vision goggles, appears excessively dark and creates an undesirable high-contrast image.
If that's not enough, here's more:
http://www.hyperstealth.com/acupat/
As far as the tiger stripe pattern above, I can show you "Camo" patterns with chicks in bikinis. Doesn't make it effective real-world camouflage.
For those of you that wanna argue some more, have at it. I'm done...
OK. Look up "Universal Camouflage Pattern" in Wikipedia. "ACUPAT" for those of you that like US Military terminology.
Then, look under color selection.
The color scheme of the Army Combat Uniform is composed of a gray (officially named Urban gray 501), tan (Desert sand 500) and sage green (Foliage green 502) digital pattern. The pattern is noticeable for its elimination of the color black.[7] Justification for the ommission of black was that black is a colour not commonly found in nature.[8] Pure black, when viewed through night vision goggles, appears excessively dark and creates an undesirable high-contrast image.
If that's not enough, here's more:
http://www.hyperstealth.com/acupat/
As far as the tiger stripe pattern above, I can show you "Camo" patterns with chicks in bikinis. Doesn't make it effective real-world camouflage.
For those of you that wanna argue some more, have at it. I'm done...
devildog1341
Inactive
I agree with AK. I have been in more than one forest where there was so much underbrush and dead vegetation on the ground that the surroundings appeared black. At least black enough that those tones would work well.
Even they say it does exist.
There was a time it was the schnitz in real world use.
Some camos are more area specific too, some are more universal.
From what Ive heard, not to many people are real happy with the Armys ACUPAT. Ive seen/heard lots of complaints.
I have seen Multicam turning up more and more and understand its now issue with some units. No black in it either, but there is some fairly dark brown. Personally, its been my favorite camo for a number of years now.
Works well on people and weapons.
